IR 57 in Tarnów

The 57th was a Galician regiment, headquartered in the city of Tarnów. For Hungarians, Tarnów is primarily notable because it was the birthplace of Jozef Bem, the legendary commander of the 1848 War of Independence, or Grandpa Bem. The 57th Regiment was part of the 1st Division and saw action on all battlefields.

The letter seal attached to the post shows the monument erected on the Königgrätz battlefield, as does the opening picture. The regiment distinguished itself here in 1866, even though the Monarchy lost the war with the Prussians.

The regiment’s badge shows the town hall building in the background behind the gate, which stands on the city’s market square. The town hall, built in the 1300s, acquired its current form in the 1500s with a Renaissance-style reconstruction.

The predecessor of the settlement was founded 3 km from the present city centre in the 9th century. The city developed on its present location after the adoption of Christianity and the battles fought during the establishment of the Kingdom of Poland. Its first documented mention dates back to 1124. During the Polish Golden Age, it had 1200 inhabitants, and its water supply and sewage system were considered a very modern development. In addition to the Catholic cathedral, the city also had a community building of the Reformed Church  and a synagogue, as well as a school. At that time, the city was the property of the Tarnowski family. The city was ravaged by Swedish troops in 1655, and later its importance declined with the cessation of Polish statehood. During the modernization of the Monarchy, the city began to flourish again with the construction of the railway. During the Great War, the Russians occupied it in November 1914, but after the breakthrough at Gorlice, it came under Austro-Hungarian control again.